Car parking charges have doubled at some stations along the Shoebury to Fenchurch Street line, in a further blow to commuters.

Rail company c2c has increased the price of a day's off-peak parking from £1 to £2 at some of its car parks, including Benfleet, Laindon, Leigh, Westcliff and Grays.

The increase comes at the same time as rail passengers are bearing the brunt of an above-inflation 4.3 per cent rise in fares.

Paul Nye, an IT manager from Harding Road, in Chadwell St Mary, has to travel to London every day on the train from Grays and parks his car at the station.

He said: "I just think it's disgusting, really.

"After 9.30am it was £1, but I came back after Christmas and it is now £2 a day.

"It doesn't sound a lot, but if you are travelling up to London every day it is an extra £235 per year.

"On top of their rail charges, which means my fare is about an extra £70 a year, I'm looking at an extra £300."

Some off-peak rail fares at stations, including Westcliff, have decreased slightly this year, but this has been offset by the increase in parking charges.

Peter Slattery, of the Southend Rail Users' Association, said: "I can understand car parking charges go up, but doubling them seems quite high.

"I don't see why it has to go up by 100 per cent and, with the fares going up quite a bit anyway, it does seem a big increase."

Graham Bashford, spokesman for c2c, confirmed some off-peak car parking charges had doubled, but said it was to deter shoppers from parking at stations because rates were cheap.

He said: "It is a commercial decision based on what other car parking facilities there are in the area and what they are charging.

"If our off-peak car parking is lower than what local car parks are charging in areas where there is quite a lot of demand for car parking, we have put up prices so there are spaces for the rail users rather than shoppers."